Bite Me
by Amiinyan
Summary: Cronus has a horrible home life, and is tormented constantly at school. When his life is saved by a mysterious stranger he finds himself trying to learn more about the enigma that is Kurloz Makara. Rated M for attempted suicide, abuse of substances, and other such things. Sadstuck, Cronus x Kurloz
1. River

**Ok, I was informed of a ship that made me curious, so I decided to start working on this as a side project when I get stuck on my other fanfic. The pair is KurCron. I warn you, this will not be a happy and carefree kind of story. Because I'm Sadistic that way. Huss owns my Homestuck and my soul, Review to let me know what you think.**

_The water hits me like a ton of bricks, and I can't breathe. I'm numb, stunned from the fall, and everything has gone silent. I don't struggle, welcoming the dark waters as they surround me, filling my mouth and lungs. It hurts but I don't mind. If it can take everything else away, I'll gladly suffer just a little longer. My vision is going dark, and as any human will I struggle, choking on that sweet darkness of death as it crawls down my throat. My instincts say to fight, get air in my lungs and get the water out. I don't want to listen to it, clutching at my neck and twisting. Then I see the water foam up and as my vision goes dark his face is in front of mine, a deathly skeleton come to take me away from the pain. My vision is gone and my last thought is that it's all, finally, over._

~That Morning~

"Cronus, will you get out of there already!" The banging on the bathroom door is loud as hell and I roll my eyes, finishing on brushing my hair back. I don't want to deal with my sister's crap today, I just want to get to school, before- the sound of breaking glass and a shriek of anger brings a sigh from my lips. I push the door open, grumbling a little as Aranea runs into the bathroom and slams the door shut behind her. Eridan is hiding in our room when I go in, stuffing his homework in his bag as quickly as he can while the sound of yelling begins to fill the house again.

"Hey, what about breakfast?" He mutters something about not being hungry, and fumbles to put his glasses on while I grab your own back pack off the top bunk of our shared bunk bed. Eridan is shaking like crazy again and I frown down at him. Is he just afraid, or has he been indulging that damnable habit of his again? I don't get the chance to ask, he's out of the room already, slipping out the back door in the laundry room. I'm not so lucky, and end up having to go into the kitchen where I've left my music player. Mom is screaming at dad again, I'm not sure what about, and I just want to get away before they notice me. I don't succeed.

"Cronus, what the fuck are you doing in here! You're supposed to be at school!" Mom's screaming at me again, her blue eyes furious, and I can smell the alcohol on her breath. She's wearing a long nightshirt, hanging partially off one shoulder, and her words are slightly slurred. "It's only five thirty mom. School doesn't start till seven-" she cuts me off with a slap to my face and glares at me. "Don't talk back to me!" Suddenly dad's hand is around her wrist and he's yanking her back to face him. "Don't you hit my son!"

They're yelling at each other now and I take this chance to make my escape, dashing for the front door. I can hear them yelling still even as I get to the street, running as fast as I can to get away from them. From my so called home.

It's worse at school. Everyone thinks I'm a freak for dressing like a greaser, but I am who I am. I don't change my fashion sense just because of a few bruises. A fist to my jaw behind the bleachers at lunch. A fist in my gut a moment after. I can't breathe as they pummel me again and again, Kankri snickering as he watches, leaning against the wall as his buddies beat me black and blue. "Had enough yet, worthless?" I can't stop the glare, and I know I'm going to regret it when I raise one hand, middle finger raised in his direction.

I don't make it to class today, my lip is split and I can't breathe through my nose without pain. I'm pretty sure a rib is broken, and I don't know where I'm going as I wander around the streets. I don't want to think about anything. I stumble upon Eridan and Gamzee with some of their friends, getting high in the park again and I don't even bother this time. I'm tired of trying to get him to stop smoking pot, and I just turn around, walking away.

I don't even know where I am anymore by the time night falls. I'm just walking by the river, tired of everything, tired of life. I stop, looking down into the water. It's deep now, it's been raining for the last few weeks. It's not very fast, but it's still deep and I lean over the railing watching it flow without a care or conscience. I wonder if it would hurt if I fell in. If anyone would miss me, or even care if I were gone. I don't really think so, and the longer I stand there, the more I think about what it would feel like. To just jump in, to let everything go and let myself die.

I don't know when I make the decision but suddenly my foot is on the railing and I'm pulling myself up swing my legs over and cling to the edge from the other side. Hesitating, afraid it will hurt. But I guess, I'm used to hurting. Finally I let go, jumping away from the rail with all the strength I have and I think I hear a shout as I plummet to the river.

The water hits me like a ton of bricks, and I can't breathe. I'm numb, stunned from the fall, and everything has gone silent. I don't struggle, welcoming the dark waters as they surround me, filling my mouth and lungs. It hurts but I don't mind. If it can take everything else away, I'll gladly suffer just a little longer. My vision starts to darken and then, and as any human will, I struggle, choking on that sweet darkness of death as it crawls down my throat. My instincts say to fight, get air in my lungs and get the water out. I don't want to listen to it, clutching at my neck and twisting. Then I see the water foam up and as my vision goes dark his face is in front of mine, a deathly skeleton come to take me away from the pain. My vision is gone and my last thought is that it's all, finally, over.

~the next morning~

When I wake up, I don't recognize the room around me and I sit up fast, wincing at that mistake as my lungs ache and all my pains from lunch come back with a vengeance. "Ughhh." Is all I can manage, rolling over as a wave of nausea hits me hard and I lay back down on the couch. I can see someone in the kitchen, apparently cooking something, and it's when he turns that I remember what happened before I blacked out. He's watching me warily as he comes over, face concerned under the skull tattoo covering his entire face. He has piercings in his brow and snake bites on his lips. Countless piercings marching a trail up the curve of both ears.

"Who are you?" You growl at him, wondering why he pulled me out of the water, when I clearly hadn't wanted to be. It was his face that had loomed at me in the final moments of lucidity, deep under the water. He doesn't answer my question, crouching down by me on the couch and feeling my forehead before he returns to the kitchen. "Hey, answer me dammit!" He stays silent, bringing me a plate of what appears to be curry and he's got a notebook and pen in his hand. It's when I've got the plate on my lap, attacking the curry with a ravenous vengeance that he show's me what he's written in the notebook.

_My name is Kurloz, and I'm mute._


	2. Kurloz

I feel like a heel when I read his note, for yelling at him when he hadn't answered me. Now I understand that he couldn't. My mouth is full of curry and I swallow quickly, an apologetic expression on my face. "Sorry, I didn't know."

He smiles at me and shakes his head, writing something else in his notebook and showing it to me. "_It's ok. I'm used to it. Do you sign?_" I shake my head and his expression is a little sad. "Oh I see. That's alright though. Do you mind if I ask who you are?" I blink at him, one eyebrow raising as I regard that question. Who in their right minds brings a complete stranger to their house, regardless of an attempted suicide?

That last thought makes me wince slightly before I sigh, looking at him. "Cronus Ampora. Am I at your house?" He nods and another sigh escapes me. "No offense, but isn't bringing a complete stranger to your house kinda dangerous?" He shrugs, writing something else.

"_You needed help, and I figured you didn't want anyone to know about what happened at the river._" I can't help but snort at that, stirring the rice and sauce together on my plate. "You should mind your own business you know. I obviously didn't want any help." His pencil flying across his page, and when he shows it to me his handwriting is a bit sloppy from his haste. Not to mention the all caps made it clear he was quite upset by that little statement. "_THERE IS NO REASON IN THE WORLD THAT SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE TO THROW THEIR LIFE AWAY! AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE SO WILLING TO DO IT!_" He's glaring at me and for some reason this just pisses me off.

"You don't know the first fucking thing about me! Don't go acting all high and mighty, just cause you think you're some kind of hero! What the hell do you know about trying to kill yourself!?" I growl at him, eyes glaring back at his. Wordlessly he lifts his chin, pulling down the collar of his turtle neck revealing a long scar across his neck. My eyes widen as I look at the jagged line before he raises it and writes something down on the page.

"_More than I care to._" I don't know what to say for a moment, looking down at the plate of food he was kind enough to make for me, a complete stranger. He'd saved my life and I was being a complete asshole to him. Perhaps I needed to swallow my pride on this and just… "Thanks. And I'm sorry for what I said. But, I though nobody could survive having their throat cut? And is that why you're mute?"

Kurloz raises an eyebrow at my questions and I feel guilty at once. "Sorry, I guess those are kinda personal questions. You don't have to answer them if you don't want to." He smiles then and shakes his head, writing again. "_It's possible to survive, but under some particular circumstances. I was using a dull blade, and I only cut a small part of my jugular. It wasn't too bad, but bloody. And no, it wasn't what made me mute. I was born with that particular stroke of luck._"

I don't have anything to say to that, instead turning back to the curry. I eat slowly now, trying to think of something to say to this guy who'd stopped me from doing something incredibly stupid. Finally, plate empty, I look at him again, still crouched by the side of the couch and watching me silently. It was honestly a little unnerving, especially considering that creepy tattoo on his face. "So um… Why did you save me? And how did you even know I…" I can't say jumped, it sticks in my throat and another wave of guilt washes over me.

For one moment I'd let myself be a self-centered ass. I hadn't considered the feelings of my sisters or brother, and I'd tried to take the easy way out of my problems. The coward's way out. Kurloz hesitates for a moment before he starts writing again, slowly this time.

"_You passed by my house, and I saw you. Not sure why but… I followed you. I saw you jump in and I guess instinct took over from there. Guess that's just a bit creepy…_" He's rubbing the back of his neck as I read and a small smirk curves my lips. "Not really. That tattoo of yours is just a tad creepier than that. And… I'm glad you followed me. I'd be dead if you hadn't after all."

At this I can't tell if he wants to glare at me for the creepy comment or if he wants to smile in relief. He settles for an odd mixture of relieved irritation before he stands, writing another question. "Do you want to get some more rest here, or do you want to go home?"

My lower lip comes between my teeth as I consider that question, not looking him in the eyes. I don't want to go back home yet. From the clock I can see on the entertainment stand I know that it's about nine in the morning. Since its Saturday I'm ok with school, but I know there will be hell to pay for being out so late when I get home. What's a little longer anyway?

"I'd prefer to stay here for a bit, if that's ok?" He doesn't ask me why, doesn't pry, just nods and gets a blanket for me, as well as a pillow. I'm out in seconds, my body still exhausted. I don't notice when Kurloz brushes my limp curls out of my face, nor do I hear him leave soon after. I only wake up hours later, finding him gone and a note on the coffee table with a plate full of sandwiches.

"_I'm going to be gone for a couple hours. Make yourself at home if you like, the sandwiches are for you. I'll be back around six if you want to stay and talk or something._" He'd signed it and a small smile curves my lips. I look at the clock, one in the afternoon, and sigh. I can't stay till six, knowing I'm already gonna catch hell for being out so long. I eat the sandwiches of course, my growling stomach leaving me with no choice on the matter. Before I leave, I write my own little message on the note he'd left me. Just my number, telling him he could text me if he wanted. For obvious reasons I don't write call.

I leave quickly, surprised to find that Kurloz lives right by my favorite park, though it's a couple miles from my own house. A gusty sigh leaves me as I start the long walk home, glad to at least know where I was for the time being. I'm not looking forward to what will happen when I get home, so I don't exactly hurry.


	3. Responsibility

I'm barely through the door when my mother's hand is flying towards me, the impact on my cheek ringing through the air. I stagger a little, unprepared for the slap, one hand flying up to cover my stinging face. "Where the hell have you been!? Do you have any idea what time it is? Not only do I get a call saying you skipped school, but then you're out all night without any explanation or asking permission? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Her voice is shrill in my ears, and I look around quickly for my dad. A pit opens up in the bottom of my stomach when I realize that my dad's at work right now. I only see a flash of blue and black as Aranea slinks off to her room, a book in her hand. Vriska's sitting on the couch, ignoring everything and watching her movie without a care. I don't see Eridan and I wonder if he's hiding in his room like Aranea. I don't get the chance to check before my mother hits me again, yelling at me to pay attention to her. This time I yelp slightly at the pain and this seems to appease her a little, enough that she doesn't raise her hand for a third strike. "Are you going to answer me now, or do I need to smack the truth out of you?"

I don't want to deal with her temper, or the fact that I can smell the alcohol on her. But it's either me, or one of my siblings I guess. Someone always ends up on the wrong end of her anger, but I'd rather have her take it out on than one of my younger siblings. "I had to go help a friend on the other side of town. They-" Another strike, this time a punch to my stomach and I bend over wheezing as the air in my lungs flies away. She pulls me up by my hair and her face is an ugly snarl when she forces me to look at her.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" She hisses, the fumes from her mouth making me gag as spittle rains on my face. Fear is starting to set in because I don't think I've ever seen her this furious before, and it takes all of my willpower not to shove her away from me. "I'm not, I swear!" Of course I'm lying to her. I don't want to know what she'd do if she found out what I really did yesterday. Honestly I would half expect her to finish what Kurloz had interrupted, and that really isn't a theory I want to test at the moment.

I get lucky then, as she's raising her fist to punch me again, the door opening to let my father inside. No one moves for a heartbeat and then he's yanking me out of my mother's grip, shoving me towards the hallway and getting in her face again about her actions. I don't stay to listen, literally running for my room and slamming the door behind me. I can still hear them as I turn to face the bed, and my little brother. And while I thought my parents fighting was enough of a problem to deal with today, the red lines tracing their way down Eridan's arm show that someone up there thinks other-wise.

"Eridan, what the hell are you doing!?" I hiss, grabbing his arm and pulling it away from the bloodied knife in his hands. The blade clatters across our plastic tiled floor as he looks up at me with dazed eyes, and one look at them tells me that not only was he indulging in his habit, but he's higher than a kite to boot. I don't dare sneak him out to the hospital, but it's ok because the cuts don't look to deep. They're just faint scratches, and not as bad as some I've seen on him. I do sneak out to the bathroom, snatching the first aid kit then returning to Eridan's side, cleaning and bandaging his cuts.

He just sits there, watching his blood trickle to the floor and I find myself wishing I didn't have a brother, or two sisters to look after when I hear the sound of breaking glass again. With dad always working, and mom always a violent, drunken wreck, I was the one who took care of my siblings. If it weren't for them I'd have taken off a long time ago, but I don't dare abandon them.

It's later when my mom has passed out, and Eridan is sleeping off his high, that I'm curled up in my bed, trying unsuccessfully to read my history book. I'm bored seconds in, but I know I have to pass this class if I want to graduate. My phone buzzes unexpectedly, and I practically leap upon the distraction, shutting the book and grabbing the device from my pocket. It's a text, from a number I don't recognize, and I frown as I flip the cell open and select 'read now'.

_Hey there_ _:o)_

I blink, wondering who could have sent me the text, and what is up with the little face at the end. Then I remember who I left my phone number for, only a couple hours ago.  
_Kurloz?_

_Yeah, it's me. I hope I didn't interrupt anything important :o)_

I can feel a smile curving my lips, though I'm not sure why as I settle back into my pillows, book pushed aside and forgotten for the time being. It would only figure that he'd use a strange face for his signature I suppose, but I don't mind it.

_Nah, you didn't interrupt anyfin. Sorry I couldn't stay longer._

_That's alright, I'm sure your family was worried about you :o)_

_I guess you could say that. My mom wvasn't exactly pleased wvith me being out all night._

_Oh. Did I get you into trouble, taking you to my place? :o(_

I blink for a second, wondering why the face had changed. Was it not really his signature, but something he put at the end of every message? Ok, that was a little weird. Not that I had a right to complain with my v and w quirk, as well as the occasional fish pun.

_No it's fine, you didn't do anyfin wvrong. You do remember you savwed my life, right?_

_Heh. Right. So what are you up to? :o)_

_Nofin much, just studying for my history class. Wvhat about you?_

_Just making some salsa :o)_

_Salsa? _

_Salsa :o)_

_Wvhy are you making Salsa?_

_I found myself craving some chips, but store bought salsa just doesn't taste right and you never really know where it's been. So I make my own from scratch :o)_

_Wvowv. That's pretty impressivwe actually._

_Thanks. Do you cook at all? :o)_

_Nah. I'm not exactly good at cooking, to say the least. Nevwer really bothered to learn…_

_You never learned how to cook? :o(_

_Nope._

_Well, if you want to come over again sometime, I'd be happy to teach you some stuff :o)_

_Um, sure. Wvhen did you havwe in mind?_

_You free now? :o)_

_I wvish. I still havwe to finish this chapter in my history book and wvrite an essay._

_Aw well alright :o(_

The little frown at the end of his message makes a bit of guilt twist in my stomach and I bite my lip, leaning over the bed to look at Eridan on the bottom bunk. He's sleeping, almost peacefully, and I sigh as I straighten up. I can't just leave my brother by himself when he's like this. After a few nightmares I've had, I'm afraid that if I leave him alone in this state he won't be alive when I get back. My phone buzzes again and I jump, not expecting the sudden vibration in my hand. Laughing at myself I open it back up to see the text.

_How about tomorrow, around one? I have some stuff to take care of in the morning so I won't be home until then, but I we can do lunch :o)_

_Yeah, that's fine. So I'll sea you then?_

_Yeah. See you tomorrow :o)_

I close my phone, smirking just slightly as I turned back to my history book. It only occurs to me an hour later that Kurloz' invitations sounded suspiciously like a date.


	4. Breakfast

**Ok, sorry this took so long. I went on vacation, which I'm still on, but I got bored and decided to write this. My muse kinda died a horrible death so each chapter's been a major challenge to write. So I'll be writing kinda slow for a while. Anyway, read and review. Hussie is the owner of homestuck and my soul.**

When I wake up in the morning, I consider cancelling on Kurloz, even though I'd been so interested in hanging out with him. It's my cheek that wakes me, the dull throbbing telling me that my mom bruised it, and the ache in my stomach when I sit up hints at a similar fate. A glance down at my gut confirms it in my shirtless, boxer wearing state. For such a tiny woman, my mother can hit pretty hard. A dull sigh slides from my lungs as I gingerly shift off of the bed and my feet make a dull thud when I land on the cold tiles.

Eridan is still fast asleep on his bunk, and I smile a little, petting his hair out of his face and fixing his blanket. After I made sure that his feet were covered and he was properly tucked in I went to the bathroom, taking a hot shower and brushing my teeth. I make sure to avert my eyes from the purple blotch on my left cheek. It's barely five thirty when I finish my morning ablutions so I decide to make breakfast for everyone. Mom's always been too lazy to cook and Dad is probably already at work. Aranea's the first one to shuffle out of the room she shares with Vriska, rubbing sleepily at her eyes and mumbling the word 'pancakes'.

I grin at her ruffling her messy hair as she passes, wondering for not the first time how she always seems to know what I'm cooking by the smell. I'm serving the elder of my younger sisters breakfast when the youngest sibling stumbles out of the room, grumbling something roughly along the lines of 'good morning' before she to heads for the bathroom and Aranea emerges from the hallway. "Good morning Cronus!" She says cheerfully, towel draped over her shoulders and preventing her wet curls from getting her clean clothes soaked.

"Morning sis. Pancakes are on the table. Butter and syrup to." She practically hops over to the table, sitting down and saying a quick grace before digging in. I shake my head then return to making Vriska's pancakes. She's out of the bathroom by the time I finish, not saying a word of thanks or even a greeting as she passes me again. I don't mind since Vriska has never been much of a morning person. But that just leaves pancakes for Eridan, and I'm slightly worried by the time I've got them finished and waiting on a plate.

With a sigh I head for the bedroom he and I share, shaking my head slowly when I find him still sleeping peacefully. But he needs to eat his breakfast, and even if it is Sunday he can go back to sleep afterwards if he wants. So I sit on the side of the bed, gently shaking my little brother. "Hey, Eridan. Come one little buddy, wake up. It's time for breakfast." I tell him softly. It takes a few moments but finally his purple eyes slowly blink open and rubs them groggily.

"Food?" He mumbles, barely conscious and I smile. "Yeah little man. Pancakes. I made them the way you like." He blinks at me and rolls over a little, eyes closing a second before a snore comes out. I chuckle and rub his back. "Come on lazy bones, up and at 'em. Mom's still asleep I think, with Dad." He makes a soft groaning sound then pushes himself upright, fumbling around for his glasses. I grab them off his nightstand and hand them to him, ruffling his hair again before I stand and stretch. He's still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he follows me out to the kitchen.

I hand him the plate and pat his head before turning to the stove with a raised eyebrow. There had only been a little milk left, enough to make pancakes for my siblings, but the empty bowl of batter proved I would need to find something else for myself. However, from what I'd seen when gathering the ingredients, no one had gone grocery shopping yet and we were low on edible things. Shrugging I grabbed the cooking utensils and washed them, setting them beside the sink to dry. When I finished I turned to find Aranea holding an empty plate and frowning a little. "What about you?" She asked, a slightly stern look on her expression.

I smile as convincingly as I can and pat her head again. "I already ate before you guys woke up." I don't stay for her to read the lie in my face, walking past her and heading for my room. I need to do the shopping, since there isn't anything for dinner and since I have a bit of time to kill before the lunch thing with Kurloz I figure I can do it this morning. It's after I pull on my shoes and my leather jacket and I'm in the bathroom making sure my hair is fixed up when I notice what's there. Or rather, what should be there and isn't.

I clearly remember getting the crap beat out of me at lunch on Friday, yet Sunday there isn't a trace of the black eye or split lip that should be on my face. For that matter, the only thing that hurts right now is my cheek and my stomach where my mom hit me. After my trip to Kurloz's house. "Huh. Weird." I shrug it off, not particularly caring about it right now since my mind was mostly focused on purchasing food for my younger siblings. Dressed and ready I headed for Dad's and my secret stash, the little jar we hid all the grocery money in so mom didn't spend it on booze.

It had a couple hundred dollars and I grinned as I reburied the jar in the flower garden, then watered the plants. Mom hated the flowers with a passion and never went near them. So she never noticed the freshly dug earth and I always made sure to water right after to cover any traces. It was sad though, that we had to do this to make sure we could feed the younger ones. I'm turning to walk up the road when I hear a loud slam and Eridan comes running towards me, panic in his eyes. "Mom's aw-wake. Can I come w-with you?"

I sigh and nod, ruffling my kid brother's hair and heading up the road. It's a long walk to the grocery store and I figure it'd probably be a good idea to have some extra hands to carry the bags back. The rest of the morning is fun, and quiet. Eridan doesn't talk much, mostly hiding behind his scarf as we shop but that's ok. He's smiling and that means he's enjoying himself so I don't worry about his silence too much. As a bonus, by the time we wander back through the front door of the house, Mom has gone out to see a friend and the girls are watching a romantic movie.

No one comments on the bruise covering my cheek and I'm glad of that, not wanting them to worry about me. I'm almost done putting the groceries away when my phone buzzes. I frown, pulling it out then grinning when I see who's texted me.

_Hey there. You're still coming over right? :o)_

_Yeah. I just have to put awvay groceries then I'll be on my wvay._

_Alright brother, see you in a bit then :o)_

My mood further heightened I slip my phone back in my pocket and finish putting the groceries away. Eridan has joined the girls with popcorn by the time I'm done and head out to the front door. "Hey, I'm going over to a friend's house for a bit. Aranea's in charge till Dad gets home." They mostly ignore me but I can see Aranea's thumbs up and take it as assent. If asked, I will deny the skip in my step as I walked out the door and headed for Kurloz' house.


	5. Lunch

**Ok, so like I said in my profile, my math teacher is trying to kill me with homework overload. It's midnight on the start of my weekend and I suddenly had the urge to write. So, sorry for the delay, and here it is. I promise I will continue to update, though they will be few and far between. Homestuck belongs to the huss, review if you like!**

A pale brown, two story house. Small, yet comfortable, with dark red trim and a little porch extending out from the front door. I don't know how long I've been standing outside the door to Kurloz's house, hand raised to knock and dropped more times than I've cared to count. I'm frankly a little irritated at myself for being so nervous. It's just hanging out with a guy, a friend who saved my life. Why should I feel like a teenage girl, giddy and scared over her first date? I shake my head for the hundredth time then raise my hand, forcing my knuckles forward.

The door is opened before they touch the wood and Kurloz blinks at me, a hint of surprise flitting across his face before he grins at me. "Uh… Hi…" I say, the hand I'd raised to knock waving instead. He waves back, stepping out of the way to let me come inside. Neither of us say a word, though I know he can't, and I'm trying to keep the butterflies in my stomach from causing a horribly unfortunate mess. He shuts the door behind us, walking with me into the living room where a note pad and pen is waiting for him.

I smile when I see the note waiting for me. _'Thanks for coming over. Can I get you anything to drink while I make lunch? And how are you feeling today?'_ I look back at him, and catch the nervous expression, see the way he's rubbing the back of his head. I feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one with nerves. The question would be, why is Kurloz nervous? Then again, why am I so nervous with him?

"Do you have any juice? Oh, and to answer your question, I'm fine." I say, shrugging. Kurloz nods, frowning a little before heading to the kitchen. I sit on the couch, wondering just what it is that my new friend will be making for lunch, though I can tell he's already got something simmering by the scent that perforates the house. Kurloz is back in a few minutes, a glass of what looks like cranberry apple juice in his hand and I smile as he hands it to me then starts writing on the note pad. I freeze up a little when he turns it to me.

_'Where did you get that bruise on your cheek from?'_ reflexively I reach up to touch it a little then turn away.

"I dunno, it was there when I woke up." I lie, taking a drink. I don't really know him well enough to tell him about my mom, and the last thing we need is CPS to come snooping around… again. I refuse to let my siblings be taken away because of my mom's idiocy. Kurloz sits beside me for a moment, and I realize he's not buying the lie when he sighs then stands up, heading back into the kitchen. I feel a little bad, but at the same time I refuse to tell him the truth. So I stay there, drinking my juice, listening to him clang around in the kitchen. The smells wafting into the room practically have me drooling, and when at last Kurloz reappears my appetite is rearing like an excited horse. It doesn't really help that I skipped breakfast this morning though…

Kurloz places the plate of enchiladas, beans, and rice in front of me on the coffee table, along with a bowl full of salsa and a bag of chips. I grin at the salsa, our conversation from the night before coming to mind. "This the salsa you were making last night?" I ask, grabbing a chip, prepared to see what homemade salsa from fresh ingredients tasted like. At his nod I dipped the chip in and ate it, savoring the cool, slightly sweet sauce in my mouth. It had a little bite to it, but the flavor more than balanced it out and I gave Kurloz a thumbs up to show my appreciation before digging in.

He only grinned, tucking into his own food, and we sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the delicious bounty before us. After a while, and when most of the food was gone, Kurloz turned on a movie, one I had never seen before. I raised my eyebrow when I realized it wasn't a movie, but a TV show. A TV show about witch women fighting a demon. I was for some reason enthralled, particularly when one of them used telekinesis to strangle her ex-boss. Chuckling I looked over at Kurloz.

"What's this called?" He leans forward and writes 'Charmed' on his note pad, grinning at my happy little kid behavior. I nod, returning to watching the show while munching on chips and his salsa, barely aware of Kurloz glancing at me every now and then. We make it through five episodes before my phone starts going off, Aranea's 'stray cat strut' ring tone filling the air. Irritated, I flip it open as Kurloz politely pauses the TV. "What's wrong little sis?"

"You need to get home, now!" Her voice is rushed, panicked and I sit forward quickly, a faint thrill of fear running down my spine. The last time she'd had that tone in her voice, Eridan had to go to the hospital to get fourty eight stitches in his right arm.

"Why, what's wrong?" When she tells me, the bottom of my stomach drops away and I jump up. "I'll be right there. Don't move him till I get back!" I tell her softly, snapping my phone shut and turning to a very concerned Kurloz holding up the note pad, 'what's wrong?' hastily scrawled across it.

I hesitate for a moment, then sigh. "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk very much, but I really have to go. My little brother was in a car accident with my mom…"


End file.
